Scars and skin
by HungerForWords
Summary: Roy takes care of Hawkeye. Fluff :)


When Roy saw his Lieutenant lying on that bed, he felt his heart at the back of his throat, threatening to jump right out of his mouth. She was on her stomach, the single sheet only reaching up to her hips, so he could easily see the bandages around her. One wrapped diagonally around her shoulder, the other on her lower back.  
Her blonde hair was all swept away from her face, like she didn't want it in the way.  
"Colonel," Riza said in a surprisingly strong voice.  
Her head was turned towards the door, and as soon as she saw him enter she felt a warmth spread inside her.  
Roy gave her the best attempt at a smile he could, which was a sort of lopsided grimace, as if he had tasted something unpleasant. "There's no need for you to have that expression," Riza said. "I'm perfectly fine, see? Just two bullets, and they're gone now. I'll be home to rest tomorrow."  
"You and I have very different definitions of 'perfectly fine', Lieutenant." He walked towards her and stood at the edge of her bed.  
"I had surgery to remove the bullets, but the doctor said I should have a quick recovery," she added.  
Aside from the bandages, Riza's back was bare, reminding him of the story it had carried.  
Roy's hand hovered above her skin as he remember the angry red welts that she had for so long after he burnt her. The scars were still a different shade than the rest of her skin, and the tissue was still elevated. It would always be. That scar tissue would be on her until her death.  
"Does it hurt?" He asked, and set his hand down on her scars, being careful not to press down on her skin.  
The time he had burned her, Riza was sitting up, and Roy was wearing his gloves. Now she could feel the coolness of his fingertips, like they were healing her.  
"No, it's just sensitive," She replied softly.  
He traced the contours of her back gently, feeling the softer, bumpier patches of skin.  
Roy knew she was downplaying what it felt like. He knew that sometimes, when she stretched her back too much, she would wince and snap back, recoiling from the pain. He saw her grit her teeth when someone patted her back, because although it didn't hurt, the sensation was amplified and made her nervous.  
"I'll be the one to escort you tomorrow," Roy said authoritatively. But then his voice lowered, "To make sure you're okay when you get home."  
Riza didn't reply. She understood that a part of him felt guilty for not being there for when she was shot. She didn't offer words of comfort either, because they both knew they couldn't keep each other from ever getting injured. It happened.  
He laid his palm flat on the center of her back for a few seconds. Then he brought the sheet up to her shoulder blades.  
To Riza, it felt like he was protecting her.

xxx

Roy could feel how uncomfortable she was in a wheelchair. Her entire body was rigid, as if she were sitting on a chair made of wooden planks. She didn't relax until the door was closed behind them.  
Black Hayate came running to Riza, wagging his tail and yipping as he jumped at her feet.  
She leaned forward slightly to pet him. "I missed you too."  
"Wait, who's been feeding him?" Roy asked. He had completely forgotten about the dog's existence.  
"Rebecca."  
Roy pushed the wheelchair to her bedroom without even asking. It was late and she should be resting.  
He aligned the wheelchair with the bed, and made a move forward, but Riza stopped him.  
"I'm fine, Colonel. I really am." She shot him one of her rare, sweet smiles and crawled awkwardly onto the bed. For a second, she felt so silly she almost wished she had let Roy carry her.  
"Do you need anything?" Roy asked as he watched her settle on her good side.  
She bent her knees slightly, her body making a crooked Z. It was obvious that the effort had made her wounds hurt.  
"No sir, thank you."  
But Roy wasn't satisfied with that. He covered her with the sheets up to her neck, the night was freezing and he could tell she was cold. Then he went to the kitchen and brought her a glass of water, which he placed on the nightstand. It struck him that the bed was twin-sized, so she would have to roll to the other side to actually get to the nightstand and drink. The water would probably stay there all night.  
Riza rubbed her head against the pillow, trying to free her hair. She could've easily reached up to untie it, but she felt too comfortable for such an extreme move.  
Roy reached towards her and gently removed the hair clip, an action that seemed to them more intimate than anything he had done for her that night.  
"Are you comfortable now, Lieutenant?" He asked, trying to shake off the feelings he was having.  
"Yes," She said, but she needed to add something. "Although I don't think I'll be able to sleep."  
Hayate came into the room and jumped on the bed. He curled up at Riza's feet and closed his eyes. Without thinking about it, Roy sat on the edge of the bed. There was plenty of space in it anyway.  
"Well, if I tell you a story you might fall asleep," He said smiling.  
"I might. Lie down so I don't have to sit up to hear you."  
Roy slowly lowered himself on the bed, facing Riza so they were both lying on their sides.  
Black Hayate lifted his head, saw Roy on the bed and decided it would be better to sleep in the space between them.  
"Guess he didn't want me to feel jealous that you had him all to yourself," Roy said, chuckling.  
She smiled and closed her eyes. "Tell me the story now."  
Roy stared at her face, the beautiful features even softer with that peaceful expression.  
"Right. Okay, once upon a time there was a little dog. And his name was..umm, Black Hayate."  
Riza suppressed a giggle and opened her eyes, "You're terrible. Maybe we should just be quiet."  
"Okay."  
She closed her eyes again. He reached forward and brushed back a long strand of hair that had fallen forward. His fingers lingered for just a second on the nape of her neck. He trailed them along the edge of her jaw until his thumb brushed her bottom lip. Roy brought his hand back to his side and closed his eyes too. He could still feel the softness of her skin beneath his fingertips.


End file.
